Textile bobbin



Feb; 26, 1963 J; coc R 3,079,104

TEXTILE BOBBIN Filed April 6, 1960 n 0 a F L a S WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWIIIIlllllll 4 TJ Q 0 M 0| .1 G F m k I). l 7 8 p- FICA IN VEN TOR. JO/f/V K. CDC/{RAN This invention relates to a textile bobbin and it has particular relation to a molded, plastic, textile bobbin which is inexpensive and which can be discarded after the yarn supplied on the bobbin has been removed.

In the glass fiber yarn industry, as well as in other textile industries, the yarn producers have a substantial investment in textile bobbins. The bobbins are made so as to be sturdy in structure because they are returned by the yarn fabricator to the yarn producer after the yarn is removed. The bobbins are used over and over again, and their necessarily sturdy structure requires that a considerably expensive bobbin be used.

The returning of the bobbins by the yarn fabricator is a costly and bothersome procedure for both the yarn producer and yarn fabricator. Frequently, there is a small amount of yarn left on the bobbin when it is returned and this yarn must be removed by the producer before the bobbin is refilled. Removal of this yarn is a costly procedure and it frequently results in cutting or nicking the bobbin to such an extent that the bobbin must be discarded.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive textile bobbin which the yarn fabricator can discard after removing the yarn. This is accomplished by the provision of an inexpensive, molded, plastic bobbin. The bobbin is composed of a cylindrical body having a yarn package supporting and defining flange at the bottom end of the body and a yarn package defining flange at the top end of the body. An extension at the top of the body above the top yarn defining flange is provided to permit grasping of the bobbin without touching the yarn. The top flange has smoothly indented or recessed portions in it to permit the removal of the yarn over the (top) end of the bobbin without damage to the yarn as it passes over the end of the bobbin on its way to a fabrication station.

The bobbin and its construction can be further described by reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the bobbin;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side View of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along ines IV-IV of FIG. 2.

In the drawing, a textile bobbin is shown composed of a hollow cylindrical body 12 having a yarn package supporting and defining flange 14 extending from the bottom of the body 12 and a yarn package defining flange 16 extending from the top of the body 12. The flanges extend radially from the body 12 in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical body 12. The lower flange is cylindrical in shape and its circular periphery has a groove 17 in it in which the yarn transfer pigtail can be wrapped. The yarn package 18 shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing is cylindrical in shape in its lower portion and tapers gradually to a smaller diameter in its upper portion. The yarn package may have other shapes.

A small, hollow, cylindrical section 20 extends upward- 1y from the flange 16 so as to provide a surface by which the bobbin 10 may be grasped without requiring touching of the yarn wound on the bobbin. This section has a small flange 22 extending around its outermost or uppermost portion to permit the grasping and holding of the section. The outer diameter of the section 20 is smaller than the outer diameter of the body 12.

res Ptent O The section 20 is provided in its interior with a shelf 24 which extends inwardly from the inner wall of the section in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical body 12 and section 20. The shelf 24 may be in sections as shown or may extend continuously around the interior wall of section 20*. Located immediately above the shelf 24 is a series of triangular projections 26 which slope downwardly and outwardly from the interior wall of section 20 to a point slightly above the plane of the upper surface of the shelf 24, for example about to inch above this plane. The bottom surfaces of the projections 26 are substantially parallel to the shelf 24 and define in combination with the shelf a small space into which the edges of a cardboard identification tag 27 can be placed. The tag 27 is circular in shape and has about the same diameter as or a slightly smaller diameter than the interior opening of the section 20*. The tag 27 is forced down over the projections 26 and into place between the projections 26 and shelf 24. This design provides a very simple method for attaching the identification tag 27 to the bobbin 10. An opening or vent 28 is provided in the wall of section 20 below the shelf 24 and above the flange 16. The vent 28 permits air to escape from the interior of the bobbin without building up in pressure and blowing the tag 27 out of place when the bobbin is placed on a twister spindle or pushed into a cell in a shipping carton.

The top flange 16 has two recessed portions at 30 and as shown in the drawing these recessed portions are symmetrically opposed to each other on the periphery of the flange. The flange 16 would have a general peripheral outline in the form of a circle with the exception of these portions 30 which recede smoothly in to the body 12 of the bobbin so as to in effect separate the flange 16 into two separate, opposed symmetrical portions. These recessed sections 36 are required as a result of the method of manufacturing the bobbin. It will be understood from the following description of the method of manufacture of the bobbin that there may be only one recessed section or there may be more than two depending upon the particular molds used in the manufacture of the bobbin.

The bobbin 10 is made of a moldable plastic such as a thermoplastic polystyrene resin. Other resins may be employed and the main considerations in choosing a resin are that it can be molded and that it is inexpensive. The bobbin can be made according to conventional molding techniques for cylindrical flanged objects in a conventional mold which is composed of two side or longitudinal sections which clamp together at two lines which run generally parallel to the axis of the bobbin from the top to the bottom of the bobbin. These two sections form the outline of the bobbin from the top flange down to and including the outer periphery of the bottom flange 14. A third section of the mold is composed of a slightly tapered mandrel which extends from the bottom forming portions of the two side sections into the mold so as to form the hollow interior of the cylindrical body 12 and the extension 20. The third section is provided with a flange which forms the bottom of the bobbin and closes the lower end of the mold. The flange 14 as formed by the flange on the mandrel may be solid, but is preferably hollow to save material, and it is usually provided with ribs for structural reinforcement. The mandrel portion of the mold is slightly tapered so as to permit its removal after the resin has been forced into the cavities in the mold.

The two meeting edges of the sides of the mold form mold marks 32 on opposite sides of the molded bobbin running the length of the bobbin from the top to the bottom. These mold marks are formed in several ways. They may be formed by a small portion of the resin protruding between the meeting edges of the mold sections. The mold marks may also be formed when the two side sections of the mold are not properly aligned so that one half of the bobbin as molded slightly over laps the other half in either a-horizontal or a vertical a top flange or" completely circular shape would require the inspection of every bobbin and the removal of any such marks by polishing or some other technique. This wouldbe an extra step in the bobbin manufacturing processwhich would add to the cost of the bobbin. Since the object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive bobbin, a less expensive methodof avoiding this troublesome problem must be resorted to. his problem is avoided by forming the bobbin mold so that the periphery of the flange'it recesses smoothly in toward the surface of the cylindrical body 12 at the points Where the sides of the mold clamp together so that any mold marks in these recessed sections of the flange are out of the path of the yarn as it travels over the top of the bobbin. It is preferred that portions 36 recede all the Way to the surface of the body 12; however, this may not be necessary Where the-yarn is being removed at a high enough speed so that'it tends to travel a. circular path around the top of the bobbin as it leaves the bobbin. in such case only a slight'recess is needed. In any event the periphery of the flange 16 with the exception of the recessed portion 39 defines a generally circular path for the yarn to travel as it leaves the top of the bobbin and thusthe yarn does not come in contact with any mold marks on the flange id of the bobbin.

This simple and inexpensive modification of the design of the bobbin has permitted the production and use of an inexpensive throw-away textile bobbin. present invention has been described with reference to specific details of certain embodiments thereof, it is not intended that such details shall be regarded as limita tions upon the scope of the invention insofar as included in the accompanying claims.

I claim: 7

1. A molded, plastic textile bobbin comprising a cylindrical body having top and bottom, generally circular, flanges for defining the length of the yarn package Wound on the body and at least one mold mark extending along the side of the bobbin in the general direction of the axis of the bobbin, the top flange being smoothly peripherally recessed in the area crossed by the mold mark.

Although the 2. A molded, plastic textile bobbin comprising a cylindrical body having a generally circular bottom flange located at one end of the body and a generally circular top flange at the other end of the body and at least one mold mark on the peripheral edge of the top flange, the top flange being smoothly peripherally recessed in the area crossed by the mold mark.

3. A molded, plastic textile bobbin comprising a cylindrical body having generally circular flanges at the top and bottom of the body for defining the length of the yarn package wound on the body, at least one mold mark on the surface of the bobbin running along the side of the bobbin and over at least the peripheral edge of the top flange, the top flange being smoothly peripherally recessed in to the body in the area where the mold mark crosses it.

4. A molded, plastic textile bobbin comprising a cylindrical body having top and bottom flanges for defining the length of the yarn packagewound on the body, and a plurality of mold marks on the outer surface of the body running along the side of the bobbin and crossing over the peripheral edge of the top flange, the top flange being smoothly recessed around the periphery of the flange in those areas where the mold marks cross the periphery of the top flange.

5. A molded, plastic textile bobbin comprising a cylindrical body having top and bottom flanges for defining the length ofthe yarn package Wound on the body, a plurality of mold marks on the outer surface of the bobbin running along the length of the bobbin and crossing over at least the periphery of the top flange, the top flange being smoothly recessed around itsperiphery'in the areas Where the-mold marks cross the periphery of the flange and a cylindrical extension projecting upwardly in an axial direction from the top flange and being of- 7 smaller diameter than the cylindrical body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. A MOLDED PLASTIC TEXTILE BOBBIN COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL BODY HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR BOTTOM FLANGE LOCATED AT ONE END OF THE BODY AND A GENERALLY CIRCULAR TOP FLANGE AT THE OTHER END OF THE BODY AND AT LEAST ONE MOLD MARK ON THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE TOP FLANGE, THE TOP FLANGE BEING SMOOTHLY PERIPHERALLY RECESSED IN THE AREA CROSSED BY THE MOLD MARK. 